More Vacation Pictures

     A few days after we got there Chance and I headed to Branson to spend a couple days at the lake with my best friend Emilee and her family.  It was a blast and one of our favorite parts about being home.  I spent my summers growing up at the lake with my family and Emilee's.  I love the relaxing and the chatting with my bestie :)  I can't wait until our kids are older and we can all camp together.  Someday :)

My silly man 

:)

Chance and Em's hubby Daniel jumped off the cliffs.  They were very high since the water was down.  That's Chance in mid-air.

Chance trying to ski :)
(He'll love me for posting this one)

Success

Em and I showing everyone how it's done.  Emilee can only "ski with one ski".
 Show off :)

The morning of the 4th we watched Nini run in the town's 5k

Buddy helped Nini run across the finish line! He was in heaven :)

The boys did a lot of playing outside even though it was warm.  The boys loved all of Papa's riding toys

We also visited my Grandpa who is staying in a home in my hometown.  He was doing great and I was really glad we had the time to see him :)

     The rest of the 4th we spent playing outside.  The boys walked in a parade and Meemaw and Aunt Rayna came to watch and then out for ice cream.  Then we took Landon home to sleep and Chance and I took Isaac to see the fireworks.  I forgot my camera in the car but Isaac just had a huge grin on while watching.  It was a joy to watch :)

Last Vacation Home - - Part 1

     We've "gone home" for the last time.  Never again will we have to travel to our home state.  In a few months MO will be home again.  I am so grateful we're getting closer.  Our life in the Army has shown us just how important being near our families and having our children grow up there is to us.  The last few years have been exactly what we needed though.  God definitely had a plan for our little family when we joined the Army. 

     We spent a great 11 days at home.  I'll let a few of our pictures show the fun we had getting there and our first few days!  

Our good little flying boys

Seeing Papa for the first time.  Buddy kept saying "I missed you so much Papa!"

Playing at Nini's and Papa's

Playing at the park

Swimming at Aunt Lisa's with Aunt Rayna

Issac wasn't a fan of going in deep so he chilled on the steps or walked around

One of our first stops was my Mom's parent's house.  Landon was excited to see the tractors.

Seeing them for the first time

Happy guy

Driving with Nini

Playing with Great Grandpa Marvin

Being silly with Nini and Papa

Their favorite activity :)

     

Our Weekend

It's Sunday now.  We had a nice weekend.  I got my camera to work (kind of) and got some pictures taken.  It's taking really poor pictures for some reason now.  The back screen is busted so I can't see what I'm taking a picture of.  That makes it a little difficult to do anything.  So I point, shoot, and hope for the best!

Friday evening we went out for dinner and the boys got out the drum set they got for Christmas.  Yes this is the first time they have used it since then because this Momma can't handle all the banging.  Drives me bonkers, but Buddy has been playing and singing me "special songs" as he says it.  That makes it bearable.

Buddy Singing and playing

Landon taking over and Buddy trying to stop him

After I threatened to put the drum set back in the garage for another 4 months if he didn't share

Didn't quite make it to the crib before passing out.  Didn't quite make it all the way on the chair either.

The beginning of the trail.  Not all was bridged.  This was just over part of the river

Covered walkway under the train tracks

Neat view of the tracks underneath

This is what happens when you can't see what your taking a picture of.  This is either the snake or deer we saw

My sweet boys at the end of our 1.5 hour trail run/walk

My heart melts :)

Christmas Morning

I never thought I could feel this way about something that used to be
so dreadful.

But tonight I can't sleep.  I want to sleep.  I want tomorrow to be 
here NOW!

Tomorrow before lunch, my family and I are going here:

to run 4 miles!


How did I not know this beautiful path existed in my town?


Because I just became a runner!  And I plan on spending many a run here!


It's 4 miles one way with mile markers, paved, 10 foot wide, along the river, shaded, patrolled, and gorgeous!


I rigged my old camera up too to work so I can take some pictures tomorrow.  I'd take a picture


of how it's broken, but you know.....

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for the camera I'll be getting soon.  I'm bummed my old one broke, but this one will do the job just fine :)  And it's been recommended by my personal professional photographer (AKA Emilee) so I have no doubt it will be a great easy to use camera.  And since I don't own it yet these pictures are all from the recent past. 

I'm thankful for amazing skinny coffee that I'll enjoy with my husband at lunch today.  A Starbucks tall skinny iced caramel macchiato is about 110 calories according to my searches on Google.  Which I trust with everything that I am..........

I'm thankful that we get to fly home this summer.  5 hours of craziness is better than 24 hours in my book and I'll have my hubby's help this time!

I'm thankful for the ability to finish my last online classes at this university this summer and be 2-3 semesters from my diploma.  

I'm thankful for the town I grew up in and the warm feeling it gives me thinking of walking into my favorite coffee shop on this street.

I'm thankful for moments like these.  Watching the boys try to tackle their father when he walks in the door has become one of my most favorite times of the day :)

I'm thankful to be a part of this family.

Last but definitely not least, I'm so thankful for my savior.  I am forgiven and there is no better feeling. 

A New Love

Running.

Who would have thought that running could be this fun?

I started out running a mile. Then two. Now three!

I feel accomplished. Silly I know, but this is a big feat for me. I feel like I can do anything!

I ran my first 5k today and it was awesome! It was particularly great because I got to

run it along side my sweet hubby while he pushed our babies in the double jogger.

(I will always refer to my babies as babies. Can't help it.)

I run my 2nd 5k in May on Mother's Day. I can't wait.

Also, I can't upload pictures right now. My camera bit the dust and we haven't invested in a new

one. We're going to Best Buy tonight so we'll see what the hubby thinks.... :)

And because being reminded of this makes me smile the most:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16

Eternity

Eternity.

It's honestly not something I think of too often. I watched a video today that is below this post that changed my perspective. Not a lot of things are that powerful. And the video isn't "blow you out of the water" spectacular. It's simple. Francis Chan has a simple idea he is trying to get across.

I'm going to be completely honest here and that is kinda hard because I feel stupid for feeling the way I do sometimes. Often I stress about the stuff of this world. What I have, how I look, how others see me and my family and my house and my blah blah blah. Sometimes I actually worry that I will miss out on something or lose friends if I'm not of this world. How lame right? Well I told you I was gonna be honest. I need to be more like Paul in the sense that I keep my eyes forward on the finish line.

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:14

(Sorry you had to work Papa. We love you too!)

NINI IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say Buddy is beside himself with happiness :)

Oh JJ Heller! I am so blessed by the words that God puts into her heart to share with this world. This song feels like it floated straight from my heart. I love my three boys so much. Even though we have rough times where we all feel stressed, the sunshine in my life is looking at their faces at the dinner table or when they're all wrestling on the floor. Thank you Dear Lord for the sweet sweet men you put in my life. I love them so :)

Lately

Oh this blog. I think about it everyday. I am just too lazy busy to come up with an exciting blog post. We'll be home soon enough so this blog may not be needed anymore. We'll see. For now I like reading other blogs and popping into my own every once in a while. Here is what's keeping me busy :)

Isaac likes to take the camera and photograph his brother. I like Landon's serious look here.

And again :)

Isaac and his monkeys. His imagination is amazing to me :)

We went to an animal rescue farm near Fayetteville and this guy below was eating out of our hands on the trail ride. The boys loved it, but I didn't get many good photos of them.

Above is a teapot I added to my collection from the thrift store in town. Up to four. Collections have to start somewhere :)

We watched our friends kiddos a few weeks ago so they could go on a date and then switched and they did the same for us the next night. It was wonderful! These guys were loving watching Cars.

This beauty was an awesome Craigslist find. Picked it up Monday and can't say I hate it. It's beauty gives me the motivation to use it. And the few times we've been out the boys love it. I know Isaac likes that they don't have to look around the the person in front of them like our other double stroller. It glides and I can't wait to use it when Nini comes out here in a few days :)